Flying well with kids takes more than a wing and a prayer
If you’re flying somewhere with young kids this summer, you deserve a medal. Few things seem to irk fellow passengers like babies, toddlers and their parents. According to surveys done by
Expedia.com, seat kickers and inattentive parents rank up there with aromatic passengers (those who lack in hygiene or overindulge...
Muhammad Ali’s Pa. training camp opens to the public
The rustic Pennsylvania training camp where Muhammad Ali prepared for some of his most famous fights has undergone an elaborate restoration, opening to the public Saturday as a shrine to the heavyweight icon’s life and career. The famed Deer Lake camp was in disrepair when California real estate investor Mike...
World’s first 360-degree rooftop infinity pool to open atop London skyscraper
Now you can cheat death … and feel quite refreshed doing it. A UK-based pool manufacturer, Compass Pools, has announced plans to build a 360-degree infinity pool atop a 55-story skyscraper in London. It would be the world’s first such pool. The company says the 58,500-gallon pool would be made...
Mystery object found in Outer Banks briefly stumps experts
Some strange stuff ends up on the beach in the Outer Banks. This thing had the experts scratching their heads. The staff at Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina took to Facebook for help identifying an unusual item that a visitor found on the shore. The cluster of bony...
12 easy, healthy snacks for your road trip
It’s officially summer travel season. While you can’t avoid the inevitable dirty gas station bathrooms and frustrating traffic jams of a summer road trip, you can pack some snacks to make sure that you don’t get “hangry” and reach for unhealthy fast food. I know, I know. “Road trip food...
2 Kennywood roller coasters make ‘tallest, scariest’ list
Just in time for summer, two Kennywood roller coasters — one wooden, one steel — make the Pennsylvania Tourism Office’s list of the 10 “tallest and scariest” roller coasters in Pennsylvania. Coming in at No. 3 is Phantom’s Revenge, a steel coaster that reaches speeds of 85 mph and a...
Disneyland adds another crowd-management fix at Star Wars land
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anticipating huge crowds for the opening of its newest expansion, Disneyland allowed only park visitors with reservations to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge during the first three weeks after opening. But the crowds were so overwhelming over the weekend that even with the reservations system, the theme...
Universal water park closes early, workers taken to hospital
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Volcano Bay water park at Universal Orlando Resort closed early Sunday and at least four workers were taken to hospitals for what theme park officials say were “technical issues.” Workers and some guests complained that they felt like they were being electrically shocked. Visiting from Boston,...
Travel tip: Presque Isle State Park plans June lagoon tours
When you’ve had enough of sand and sun, there’s still plenty to do at Presque Isle State Park in Erie. Here are some June programs led by the park naturalists: • Stand-up paddle-boarding tour of the lagoons ($35 fee), 5 p.m. June 4 • Pontoon boat ride through the lagoons,...
Pa. museum gets massive, century-old steam engine running again
A century-old steam engine has been put on display at Pennsylvania’s National Museum of Industrial History after workers got it running again for the first time in nearly four decades. The 115-ton Corliss engine once pumped 8 million gallons of water a day for the York Water Co. in York....
Union warns Disney World fire department is understaffed
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Firefighters for Walt Disney World’s private government say they’re understaffed and that poses a safety risk as the Florida theme park resort grows even bigger with this year’s openings of a new Star Wars land and air gondolas. “We just don’t have enough firefighters on...
Travelers leave nearly $1 million in TSA bins every year
Stressed passengers cruising through airport security checkpoints are abandoning nearly a million dollars in cash each year. And the Transportation Security Administration has been claiming finders keepers. But now someone else wants that money. The Department of Homeland Security is looking to fund border security and they spotted that $3...
4 ways to be a good traveler in the age of overtourism
In Paris, the Louvre Museum closed for a day this week because workers said the crowds were too big to handle. In the Himalayas, climbers at Mount Everest are concerned that the peak has gotten too crowded, contributing to the highest death toll in years. In cities and destinations around...
Travel tip: Take a jaunt across Pennsylvania’s back roads
Remember when families piled into the car and took a leisurely Sunday drive along the back roads? No? Well, then maybe it’s time to revive that tradition. At takebackroads.com, there are suggestions for seven back-road jaunts across the Keystone State. Of course, the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway, traversing routes 381...
Plan before leaving home to keep kids safe while traveling
We were visiting Thailand when I encountered my worst parenting nightmare — my 5-year-old daughter disappeared. She was with us in the courtyard of the guesthouse, until she wasn’t. My husband and I spent 35 terrifying minutes trying to locate her. She eventually returned safely on her own from what...
Mon Incline makes list of world’s coolest public transit rides
We in Pittsburgh know how cool the Inclines are. Now, maybe the rest of the world will get clued in. Atlas Obscura, one of the web’s neatest travel sites, has released a list: 18 of the World’s Most Wondrous Public Transportation Options. “One of the greatest ways to experience a...
Altoona’s Lakemont Park, with world’s oldest roller coaster, is back open for rides
No doubt, Pennsylvania’s got some amazing things. But the world’s oldest wooden roller coaster? Yep, we got that — it’s Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park in Altoona, which reopens to the public after more than two years of renovations. In March 2017, Lakemont announced it was closing for renovations....
New Jersey beach smoking ban in place for start of summer
SEA GIRT, N.J. — Smoking and vaping will be banned on nearly every public beach in New Jersey this summer under tougher new restrictions. Nonsmokers are rejoicing over the ban, which also applies to public parks. But some smokers are feeling discriminated against by the law, which took effect in...
Outer Banks’ Ocracoke beach places 2nd on ‘Dr. Beach’ list
Heading to the Outer Banks this summer? The roads might be even more crowded this year as one of the OBX beaches made an annual list of best beaches. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach on North Carolina’s Outer Banks placed second on the annual ”Dr. Beach” best beach list. The list is...
Travel tip: These 9 countries offer more bang for the buck
If you’re looking for more bang for your international travel buck, SmarterTravel has a list of countries with the best exchange rates for the U.S. dollar. As an added bonus, seven of the nine countries listed are right here in the Western Hemisphere. Whether you’re on a tight budget or...
Safe selfies: Here’s a checklist for taking your travel photos
Are you practicing safe selfies? It might be time to examine your photo-clicking habits and put caution first. In late March, a man visiting the Grand Canyon from Hong Kong tripped while taking a photo, falling over a 1,000-foot rim to his death. According to a 2018 report in the...
‘Hoss’ the Ohio hair ball is 125 pounds and counting
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio — What’s 4 feet tall, 125 pounds and is covered in hair? No, it’s not Cousin Itt of the Addams Family. It’s Hoss, the giant ball of human hair. Hoss, named after Dan Blocker’s character from “Bonanza,” is an oblong shape and is, well, hairy. Hundreds of people...
Buy a house in Italy for less than a cappuccino
Two bucks will buy you a house in the Italian countryside. Many of Italy’s ancient towns are losing residents so community leaders are taking action. The city of Mussomeli, in Sicily, is an example of a place desperate to rebuild its population. In fact, they will give you a house...
Taco Bell Hotel & Resort will have sauce packet floaties in the pool
You can spend your summer vacation at Taco Bell. If you’re a big fan of the Mexican cuisine, fast-food chain you’re going to love this immersive taco-themed getaway. It’s called The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort and it will be located in, you guessed it, California. Palm Springs...
15-foot great white shark heading toward Outer BanksVideo
A 15-foot great white shark is moving up the coast toward the Outer Banks. Researchers are tracking the 2,137-pound fish as it migrates past South Carolina on course for North Carolina’s beaches. OCEARCH, a nonprofit that tags and tracks sharks, reports that the female shark, named Luna, was detected May...
